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Panther A

2024-11-24T22:18:24Z

U64362282: WIP edit of the most glaring factual errors, and some minor changes in wording

{{About
|about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = Panther tank (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = Panther (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_a_panther
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Panzerkampfwagen V Ausführung A (Panther A)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 171''') is the second production variant of the iconic [[Panther tank (Family)|Panzerkampfwagen V Panther medium tank family]]. Many [[Panther D]] characteristics, such as the small rectangular 'letterbox' hull machine gun opening, remained on the early production Panther A manufactured between July and December 1943. The Panther A turret has received significant modifications. For starters, the gun mantlet on the Panther A turret was larger than the one on the previous Panther D. The design of the cast turret side directly behind the gun mantlet was modified to a dish-shaped protrusion to fit the new gun mantlet. In addition, a new dome-shaped cast-armour commander's cupola was designed, and a ring was mounted on the commander's cupola to allow for the mounting of an anti-aircraft light machine gun. A single-speed turret power traverse system was also introduced, allowing Panther A to react to adversary tanks considerably faster than before. Finally, the German Army put a unique coating called Zimmerit on the tank's outside surface, anticipating that the Soviets and Allies would deploy magnetic mines to destroy the tank. The Zimmerit aims to minimize the effectiveness of magnets adhering to the metal hull.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panther A was part of the next generation of medium tanks that officially superseded the [[Pz.IV (Family)|Panzer IVs]] in World War II. The Panther A is widely regarded as one of the best medium tanks of World War II, combining mobility, protection, and firepower. After the Soviet [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], it was one of the most influential tank designs and served as the foundation for many later medium tank designs in other countries. The turret traverse speed is much faster than the previous Panther D model, lowering reaction time to unexpected spotting of enemies at close quarters significantly. Players can also use the commander's cupola-mounted MG34 light machine gun as a deterrence to hostile low-flying aircraft.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


The Panther A has excellent frontal armour, which can protect the crew from many of the kinetic shells found in this battle rating range (with the exception of chemical shells and large calibre kinetic shells). Panther A's survivability is excellent when played to its strengths in long-range engagement; avoid brawling with enemy tanks unless absolutely necessary. Although the turret cheek of all Panther medium tanks is a well-known weak spot, engaging the enemy from a mid- to long-distance can greatly mitigate this weakness because the enemy will struggle to effectively penetrate the weak spot as engagement distance increases. Furthermore, due to the unique curvature of the turret armour layout, the turret cheek can bounce many kinetic shells from the enemy as distance increases. Keep in mind that powerful kinetic shells like that of the 122 mm D-25 cannon and APDS shells from British and Swedish tanks will easily penetrate the frontal armour, necessitating greater caution when engaging such foes.

The Panther A armour is not very different from the Panther D, retaining the curved gun mantlet that could potentially bounce a kinetic round down into the vulnerable hull roof. While this phenomenon is relatively rare, the risk is present and should be considered when fighting any enemy even if they don't have a gun that can reliably penetrate the Panther's turret front armour.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear (Slope angle) !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 40 mm (40°) ''Top'' 40 + 5 mm ''Lower'' || 40 mm (29°) || 16 mm
|-
| Turret || 100 mm ''Turret front'' 65 -100 mm ''Gun mantlet''|| 45 mm || 45 mm || 16 mm
|-
| Cupola || 80 mm || 80 mm || 80 mm || 16 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Tracks and lower side of the hull are covered by 5 mm thick armour plate, protecting them from HEAT and HE shells.
* Rear parts of the upper side hull armour have tracks attached to it, adding additional 20 mm of armour.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531|AoAweight=0.45}}

The Panther A's mobility has had a noticeable reduction from the Panther D due to the addition of a rev limiter on its new HL230 P45 engine. Despite this, the Panther A combines good mobility with excellent firepower. However, mobility is still lacking when compared to its contemporary era tanks, particularly the Soviet T-34-85. Many common enemies, such as Sherman and T-34-85, will have no trouble firing the first shot when they come face-to-face with Panthers unexpectedly. Maps with lots of cover should be played with caution as US M18 light tanks frequently appear in unexpected areas of the map at the start of a match. Overall, the Panther A should be played as a fast medium tank, taking advantage of its excellent frontal armour while not overly relying on it to take hits, and engaging the enemy from a distance with its excellent cannon.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|KwK42 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK42 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK42]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 79 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 19.0 || 26.4 || 32.0 || 35.4 || 37.6 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 11.9 || 14.0 || 17.0 || 18.8 || 20.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK42 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39/42, PzGr 40/42, Sprgr. 42}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
|-
| '''79''' || 77 ''(+2)'' || 71 ''(+8)'' || 62 ''(+17)'' || 53 ''(+26)'' || 44 ''(+35)''
|-
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 35 ''(+44)'' || 31 ''(+48)'' || 16 ''(+63)'' || 4 ''(+75)'' || 1 ''(+78)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Turret and large sides empty: 31 ''(+48)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,700 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (150) || 900 || -10°/+25° || -60°/+160°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

'''Playing as Panther A:'''

As with all other Panther-series medium tanks, it is best played in a supporting role or as a front-line offensive tank due to its agility. The cannon mounted is more than forgiving and powerful enough to destroy any potential target, so use it to an advantage; long-range shooting is effective as the muzzle velocity is extremely high, owing to the long-barreled 75 mm, the penetration values are more than capable of punching through most opposing armour, and the shell weight will, if the shell penetrates, consistently deal decent amounts of crew and module damage, if not immediately make the target combat ineffective.

Sniping may be a fun and tempting strategy, but you can get outmatched at those longer ranges where your fast reload and turret traverse no longer matter. A good strategy is to push objectives with the Panther A considering it has the improved turret traverse and thus is able to fight in both the city and open ground. Do not attempt to use the Panther like a Tiger tank that being a meatshield breakthrough tank. Instead, spearhead assaults on objectives and flank the enemy. Your gun will be able to take care of most targets medium to close range and your armour should do its job. Make sure you check every corner and shoot and scoot. If you move methodically behind cover or on flanking routes you should be able to destroy many tanks. You can brawl quite well if you watch your flanks and flank others.

Another viable strategy is ambushes. The good camouflage for the tank can hide you if you hide behind a bush. Hide near a choke point and hope an enemy tank comes by.

Because Panthers have relatively weak side armour that even 20 mm autocannons can penetrate it, most enemies would make it their goal to flank around and penetrate the Panther's side armour (it does not help that the Panther's target profile is much larger from the side compared to the front as well). The Panther A's significantly improve turret traverse speed makes it better able to counter this trick than the Panther D, but it can still struggle against enemies that are moving at high speed like Shermans and T-34-85 at close ranges.

As the Panther's suspension rocks violently during the start and stop of the tank movement, it is recommended to not drive too fast when enemies are expected to be close by in order to reduce the gun sway and gun sight stabilization.

'''Playing against Panther A:'''

Like when fighting the previous Panther D variant head-on, fight the Panther A by firing into the right turret cheek. This is one of its weak points and can also knock out the gunner to provide some breathing room for a follow-up shot. Keep in mind that as the range increases, the shell may bounce. At short ranges, high-velocity guns like the 17-pounder can penetrate the lower glacis, and any large calibre (100 mm and up) can penetrate the upper glacis. Any British tank equipped with APDS can easily penetrate the upper glacis.

'''Light tank''': Light tanks can use their high speed to flank the Panther A tank, often more successfully than medium tanks due to their smaller profile and swift mobility. Most light tanks also carry sufficiently powerful cannons to penetrate the Panther A side armour from even a fair distance away as the Panther A's side armour is only 50 mm thick. Ensure that the Panther's firepower or mobility is taken out with the first shot, or else the Panther A would be able to quickly respond to a flanking threat by either their turret traverse or hull neutral steering turn to point directly at the light tank's position, protecting themselves while allowing them to handle the light tank threat.

'''Medium tank''': The Panther series medium tanks' greatest strengths are long-range engagements with its high-velocity 75 mm cannon and thick frontal armour. Their mobility also allow the Panther tank to reach most places an up-tiered medium tank may not reach in time. Try to minimize this disadvantage by closing the combat distance to minimize the firepower and armour disparity. Take care to make use of all map terrain and cover in order to avoid getting into the Panther's gun sights. Closing the distance also enable better targeting of weak points like the turret cheeks that is only 100 mm thick to quickly incapacitate the Panther A's turret crew, allowing for an opportunity to advance as the gunner is being replaced by another crew member. Tanks like the M4 Shermans can take advantage of their gun stabilizers to quickly move up and briefly pause and take a well-aimed shot at the Panther weak point as they get closer to take out the Panther A without needing to flank all the way around. Tanks like the T-34-85 can often instantly take out the Panther A with one well-placed APCBC round into the side and letting the post-penetration damage devastate the interior, often taking out all the crew members or igniting the ammunition.

'''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': While heavy tanks are more well-armoured, caution is still needed as the Panther's high-velocity cannon can easily penetrate tanks like the IS-2 from a distance. Continue to approach the Panther A as one would with a medium tank, making the most of existing cover and terrain to avoid staying in the Panther's gun sights for very long. That said, heavy tanks and tank destroyers often have cannon armament more than able to penetrate the Panther's front armour without relying on weak points. With this attribute, heavy tanks and tank destroyers should take on the "Panther-destroyer" role by having allies attempt to expose the Panther tank in the open and keep it in placed for the heavy tank/tank destroyer to aim at the Panther tank and penetrate their armour with ease.

; Notable Enemies

* '''M18 Hellcat:''' The M18 Hellcat are annoying enemies due to their great ability to flank on the battlefield with their large 76 mm guns. Keep an eye on the Panther's flanks for these vehicles. The saving grace is the M18's light armour meant a single shell should be sufficient in taking these out should they be spotted.
* '''M4A3E2 Jumbos:''' More heavily-armoured counterparts of the M4 Sherman, their front armour is strong enough to defend against the Panther's gun, allowing them to close in with their guns to hit the Panther in its weak spots. Luckily the M4A3E2 have weakspots of their own like the machine gun port in the hull, or with APCR and some luck, on the flat gun mantlet dead-on.
* '''IS-2:''' A dangerous heavy tank which 122 mm is more than sufficient to destroy the Panther in one shot through the front glacis armour. The Panther A should be able to return the favor in the original IS-2 through the driver's vision port in the front armour, however the 1944 variant would have eliminated this hull armour weak spot. The only other location in the front angle would be the turret cheeks or lower glacis armour, both can be risky due to some chance of bouncing the fired shot, but it may be the Panther's only chance. If the IS-2 can be made to miss however, then the Panther A can take its leisurely time approaching the IS-2 while it reloads.
* '''T26E1-1 "Super Pershing":''' While a relatively rare sight, the T26E1-1 is a stronger M26 Pershing that would warrant some attention due to the more powerful 90 mm cannon. The applique-like armour on the front can be enough to resist against the Panther's gun, though weak spots like the machine gun port or parts of the turret cheek. Aim for the right side (their left) of the turret when firing at the T26E1-1 as the ammunition are all stored at that area.
* '''T-44:''' Another relatively rare sight for the Panther A, but the T-44 front armour can be quite tough against the Panther gun. Luckily, the turret remains somewhat vulnerable to a good hit, so hit that area for a penetrating shot.
* '''ISU/SU tank destroyers with large-calibre guns:''' These large lumbering beasts are lethal with their large-calibre howitzers. However, their large profiles (except for the SU-100) means getting a good hit on them with the Panther A is doable, especially during their long reload periods. A general rule is to avoid shooting their gun mantlet as that area is complicated enough to bounce some shots.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent cannon has a range of ammo for any type of enemy: great stock AP for common targets (eg. [[T-34-85]], [[M4 Sherman (Family)|M4 Sherman]] or even the [[M4A3E2]]), piercing APCR for early cold war tanks (e.g. [[M26 (Family)|M26]], [[T-44]], early [[Centurion (Family)|Centurions]]) and HE for light vehicles. Great accuracy and velocity allows easy long-range sniping.
* Heavily armoured frontal hull is resistant to most guns at 5.7 like the 85 mm D-5T and 76 mm M1
* Faster turret traverse compared to its predecessor, Panther D.
* Fast top speed, good hull traverse. Can get to positions in time.
* Has neutral steering.
* Adequate gun depression of -8° adapts most terrains well

'''Cons:'''

* Gun mantlet is only 100 mm thick, well-known weak spot to shoot at. The ball machinegun port can also be penetrated
* Terrible reverse speed of only -4 km/h, can get the player killed
* Weak side armour gets penetrated easily
* Lower glacis often catches fire or breaks transmission when penetrated, leaving the tank immobile and vulnerable. The transmission does protect the crew at the cost of a lengthy repair.
* High profile for a medium tank makes it harder to hide
* Roof armour of 16 mm is vulnerable to [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2 Brownings]] which are widely seen on American planes. Any autocannon can cause strafing damage.
* Although heavily armoured, it can still get frontally penetrated easily by a rather common heavy tank: [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]]
* Gun mantlet traps shots (shells may deflect into the hull roof weak armour), although this is rare.

== History ==

===Development===
The '''Panther''' development started as far back as 1938 as a replacement to the [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV E|Panzer IVs]]. The program was called VK 20 and it called for a 20 ton tracked vehicle design by Krupp, Daimler-Benz, and MAN. Krupp dropped out when the requirements changed to 30 tones in 1941 when the German encounters the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks where the Panzer III and Panzer IV's performance have little effect due to its superior armour, mobility, and armament. The VK 20 was abandoned for the VK 30.02 in April 1942. Daimler-Benz design for this project looks similar to the T-34 with the turret far forward in the hull, plus the use of a diesel engine and external leaf spring suspension. MAN's design had a twin torsion bar, the interleaved suspension system (like the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]]) with the turret situated in the middle of the hull, plus had a petrol Maybach engine. Hitler was reported to believe that the DB design was superior to the MAN design, and in a review between January to March 1942, Fritz Todt and Albert Speer also recommended the DB design. Then MAN revised their design, and a special commission by Hitler decided on the MAN design in May 1942, to which Hitler approved after reviewing it. One of the reasons the MAN was approved was that its turret was already in production while the DB used a completely new design. However, despite being built for a 30-ton design, Hitler decided to increase the armour on the MAN design and the weight went from 30 tons to 45 tons.

The MAN design was made into a prototype in September 1942, when it was officially accepted after testing and named the '''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'''. Where it remained so until 1944, where Hitler removed the '''V''' in the designation for the name '''Panther'''. Production started in December 1942, though the early models suffered from reliability issues. The production plants expanded from MAN to Daimler-Benz, MNH, and Henschel for increased output. Despite that, production was often delayed due to Allied air bombing, which targeted the Maybach engine plant and DB, MAN, and MNH tank factories. Nevertheless, the total number of Panther tanks produced was 6,706, making the Panther the third most produced armoured fighting vehicle in Germany behind the Panzer IV and the StuG III.

===Design===
The MAN design for the Panther featured a heavily sloped armour design, with the front glacis plate being 80 mm thick (from the original 60 mm before the weight increase) and when sloped at 55 degrees, it was 140 mm effective in thickness. This made the Panther one of the best-armoured vehicle in World War II. The side armour of the Panther was way thinner at 40 mm that could be pierced very easily. Additional side armour in the form of Schürzen could be placed on the sides hanging to cover the suspension and hull side from being penetrated by Soviet anti-tank rifle fire. The Panther used the same engine as the Tiger I, the Mayback HL 210 P30 engine, and had a similar suspension system, the Schachtellaufwerk interleaved wheel system, which complicated maintenance issues. The tank used the formidable 7.5 cm Kwk 42 cannon, which could destroy most of the allied tanks in service, only possess a mediocre HE shell.

The '''Ausf. A''' variant was the second variant designed for the Panther, The old drum-shaped cupola on the [[Panther D|Ausf. D]] had been replaced by a side-swinging hatch that didn't require the commander to expose himself to open or close the hatch. The Ausf. A introduced the standard ball mount for the assistant driver's machine gun, replacing the "letterbox" flap design on the Ausf. D. The Ausf. A also had the initial turret curved gun mantlet that was introduced to the Panther, though there were faults with the design as explained below. Other small improvements of the Ausf. A over the Ausf. D was improved reliability by ironing out several mechanical issues. 2,192 Panther Ausf. A was produced from August 1943 to June 1944.

The Panther's rushed development and commitment into battle caused the design to have many flaws inhibiting its full potential. The most prominent flaw that lasted throughout the war was the weak final drive due to using a double spur system that made it more prone to failure from the Panther's torque requirements, which is averaged at around 150 km before failing. The curved gun mantlet design had an unfortunate tendency to ricochet deflected rounds into the roof, it was, however, not fixed until a new gun mantlet design with a flat "chin" shape was introduced on the [[Panther G|Panther G]]. The Schachtellaufwerk suspension system, like the [[Tiger H1|Tiger]], suffered from over-engineering and complicating maintenance of the tank. Smaller problems in the tank included not having a dedicated periscope for the gunner, maintenance-heavy, fuel-hungry, and deteriorating armour quality as metal alloys in Germany began to run out.

Despite its heavier weight and slightly complex design, the cost of each Panther tank was not very high in relative to tanks with a price at 117,100 Reichmarks, compared to the 103,462 RM of Panzer IVs and 250,800 RM of the Tiger I. This made the tank rather economic for its fighting purposes despite being over-engineered.

===Combat usage===
The Panther was first issued to the Eastern Front, arming the 51st and 52nd Tank Battalions. Their usage presented mechanical problems of the Panther, forcing many of the early Panthers to be returned for rebuilding. Despite these issues, the Panther was deemed critical in the Battle of Kursk in Operation Citadel, Hitler delayed the operation so more Panthers can reach the front. 200 Panthers were ready in June 1943, but its combat debut was disappointing. The Panthers, which arrived last minute before the operation started, meant that the crew serving the tanks had little time to train with the new tanks. Two tanks were lost to motor fires right after disembarking from the trains at the front lines. 184 were operational at the start of the operation on July 5, this dropped to 40 within two days. According to Heinz Guderian, five days into the offensive, only 10 operation Panthers were available with 25 completely lost, 100 in need of repairs, and 60 per cent of those mechanical breakdowns were easily repaired. Those that did work during the campaign were able to cause heavy casualties on the Soviet tank forces, but the Panther's lethality was mitigated by its low number available. When the operation turned and the Soviet counteroffensive pushed the Germans away from Kursk, the Panther loss rose to 156 on August 11, with many more lost as the Soviet kept gaining ground. Perhaps the Panther's biggest role in Operation Citadel was delaying the start of the operation by two months to allow the Soviet defences to be bolstered beyond the German's expectations, causing the failure of the offensive.

After the failure at Kursk, improvements on the Panther helped its reliability rate. By March 1944, Guderian reported that most of the Panther's flaws were ironed out, but the final drive and other mechanical issues were still a major issue to front-line units. The Panthers served the rest of the war as quick-reaction forces to fight off Allied offensives on both fronts. On the Eastern Front, some 700 Panthers were committed to the battle at all times, though the number of operational vehicles varies depending on the situation. The Panthers were also sent to suppress the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944. Two were captured by the Polish forces, who used them against the German forces. The captured Panthers were used until they became immobilized and were destroyed to prevent recapture by the Germans.

On the Western Front, the Panthers began being present in large numbers after the Invasion of Normandy. 156 Panthers were initially present between two Panzer regiments, but this increased by seven regiments after the Allied invasion, boosting the strength to 432 tanks. The high number of Panther situated in France, mostly around Caen, and their performance against the Allied armour caused many Allied tankers to fear it as much as the Tiger tanks. However, the Panther's reliability problem was still evident as many Panthers were left abandoned by the crew when they broke down. The mechanical breakdown, partly from the flaws in the machine, can also be attributed to the poor crew training given, which showed by crew overburdening the transmission or lacking regular maintenance on the tank. The Allied assessment of the Panther was that its mobility on soft grounds was superior due to its wider tracks giving more flotation over the ground, and armour and firepower value was superior to anything they had, though it was inferior in the bocage terrain of France due to the constrained nature of the environment. The Panther participated in the famed Battle of Arracourt, where a total of 262 German tanks were committed to battle. The battle, against the mostly [[M4|M4 Sherman]], equipped 4th Armored Division, routed the Germans after they suffered heavy casualties, while the Allies only losing 32 armoured fighting vehicles, a testament on how crew training and tactical advantage have a big impact on tank warfare. The highest concentration of Panthers on the Western Front was 471 Panthers (336 operational) in the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge), where it showed its prowess in open terrain due to its superior gun. The Panthers also took place in Operation Grief, being disguised as [[M10 GMC|M10 tank destroyers]] to trick American soldiers. All of these mocked up Panthers were destroyed in battle or scrapped after it. After the Ardennes Offensive, eight Panzer division with 271 Panthers were transferred to the Eastern Front to beat back the Soviet offensive. Only five Panther battalions, 96 Panthers for each battalion, remained on the Western Front to fight the Allies.

After the war, Panther still saw a use for some time in various countries. Bulgaria and Romania received Panthers from the Soviets as aid, which they used until the 1950s. France was the most notable user of the Panther tanks after World War II due to the large quantities of operable vehicles left behind by the Germans during the Normandy invasion. The French raised a regiment of 50 Panthers from 1944 to 1947, when they were replaced by the new ARL 44 tanks. The Panther also influenced the French AMX 50 tank design, and its gun was derived onto the AMX 13 light tank. In 1947, an evaluation was written by the French War Ministry on the Panthers which even made their own assessment of the Panther that pointed out most of the flaws of the Panthers, especially the mechanical failure and the deficiency of the armour later in the war due to alloy shortages.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In the fall of 1943, production of the Ausf.A variant of the Pz.Kpfw. V tank began. The Verstandigungsoeffnung hatch, which allowed for communication with infantry and for pistol fire from inside, was removed from the new turret. Vehicles of this variant were given the simpler monocular TZF-12А sight, as well as the commander's cupola used by the Tiger I tank. The hull's front plate was equipped with a traditional ball-mount directional machine gun instead of the inefficient letterbox flap gun used earlier. To strengthen the chassis, the road wheels received an increased number of bolts. The engine and transmission cooling systems were improved. A viewport was installed on the roof of the turret, along with a close-combat device (antipersonnel fragmentation grenade launchers). Tanks released at a later date had a modified exhaust system. Some Panther Ausf. A tanks were equipped with experimental infrared night vision devices. All of the tanks of this variant had their vertical surfaces coated with Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste.

From August 1943 to May 1944, about 2,000 of these tanks were released.

Beginning in 1943, the Red Army captured a small number of Panther tanks (of several variants). These tanks were then used by several of the USSR's armoured divisions, including, for example, Lieutenant Sotnikov's division. This tank was known as a dangerous enemy to Soviet tank forces, and captured vehicles were considered a thing of great luck. They were given to the most experienced and effective crews as recognition of their incredible merit. To keep the German tanks in good condition, Soviet tank divisions used captured German mechanics. In 1944, a technical manual for the Panther was published in Russian, for distribution to the crews.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_a_panther Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Sights

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|y1S7jHyFxdA|'''The Shooting Range #34''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 02:36 discusses the Panther I.|Bf1YWYfD_qk|'''The Shooting Range #135''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 01:12 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|oa26g25qqP4|'''Best medium tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 0:34 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|9rUocSj2dHc|'''Tank Chats #16 Panther''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer MAN AG}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Panther F

2024-11-24T22:08:08Z

U64362282: /* General info */

{{About
|about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other uses
|link-1 = Panther (Disambiguation)
|usage-2 = other versions
|link-2 = Panther tank (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_f_panther
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Panzerkampfwagen V Ausführung F (Panther F)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 171''') is the fourth production variant of the iconic [[Panther tank (Family)|Panzerkampfwagen V Panther medium tank family]]. In November 1943, Rheinmetall designed a new turret with a narrow front plate 120 mm (4.72 in) thick. From a distance, the narrow turret presented a smaller target for the enemy. In March 1944, the design was revised under the name Schmale Blende Turm-Panther. This was one of several designs that were eventually dubbed "Schmalturm" (narrow turret). The Schmale Blende appears to be a modification that served as one of numerous proposals for the [[Panther II|Panzerkampfwagen V Ausfuehrung II (Panther II)]]. This updated turret design weighed less than the original Panther turret (from 7,665 kg to 7,565 kg) and reduced the area of frontal armour while maintaining interior crew space. It also reduced production time by around 30-40%. However, due to the end of World War II, the Panther F did not see serial production, but eight hulls and three turrets were completed in 1945.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panther F improves on the Panther series by improved frontal protection, reload time and the inclusion of an optical rangefinder, allowing quicker and more accurate rangefinding at ranges up to 4 km.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (gun mantlet, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (56°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50 mm (30°) ''Top'' 41.5 + 5 mm ''Lower'' || 40 mm (24°) || 25 mm
|-
| Turret || 120 mm 100 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 60 mm || 60 mm || 40 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="4" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm
|-
|}

From the hull up, the F variation of the Panther is similar to previous models. However, the biggest and most noticeable change is seen in the turret design. Instead of the transverse-cylindrical mantlet of the [[Panther D|D]] and [[Panther A|A]] models or the chinned mantlet of the [[Panther G|G]] model, the Panther F features a brand new trapezoidal turret named the ''Schmalturm'' (or "Narrow Turret"). This new turret features a bevy of positives over its previous iterations, including beefier armour and the removal of the prominent shot trap caused by the cylindrical nature of the previous model's mantlet. Though stronger than the turret of previous Panthers, the Schmalturm can still be penetrated by numerous vehicles commonly seen around its battlerating.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=930|rbMinHp=531}}

As expected of the Panther series, it features good mobility as a result of its decent power to weight ratio of 13 hp/t. However, it should be noted that the very poor reverse speed of 4 km/h has not been improved, and as such, great care must be taken to not overextend into an unfavourable position.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|KwK44 (75 mm)}}

The KwK44 is a highly effective gun when engaging enemy armour due to its high penetration. Although not as effective as the legendary [[KwK43 (88 mm)|KwK43]], it's enough to penetrate most enemies it will face, resulting in many two-shot kills with the help of the PzGr 39's explosive filler. The gun's high penetration values, excellent muzzle velocity and the addition of an optical rangefinder makes the Panther F excel in long range combat.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK44 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 82 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.28 || 19.76 || 24.00 || 26.55 || 28.24 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.93 || 10.50 || 12.75 || 14.10 || 15.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK44 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39/42, PzGr 40/42, Sprgr. 42}}It is recommended to use primarily the Pzgr. 39 APCBC-HE shell in the Panther F, as Pzgr. 40 APCR, while having higher penetration against flat armour at close range, has reduced effectiveness against sloped armour and poor spalling post-penetration.

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''82''' || 80 ''(+2)'' || 74 ''(+8)'' || 62 ''(+20)'' || 50 ''(+32)'' || 38 ''(+44)'' || 26 ''(+56)'' || 22 ''(+60)'' || 12 ''(+70)'' ||4 ''(+78)'' || 1 ''(+81)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Right side empty: 50 ''(+32)'' shells.
* Both sides empty: 22 ''(+60)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (150) || 1,200 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


In downtiers, the Panther F is an apex predator. With strong armour and significant firepower, the Panther can frontally take on most of the competition. It can be used effectively for engaging from long range or contesting capture points. It is important to be aware of your surroundings, and as much as possible point your strongest armour towards the enemy. Overextending in the Panther can be particularly lethal due to its poor reverse speed and weak side armour.

Angling the turret slightly can greatly increase the likelihood of bouncing certain common enemy cannons, like the american 76mm and soviet 85mm tank guns.

In uptiers, the Panther F should be played very carefully, as a large part of the competition can frontally defeat it with relative ease. In these matchups, the player should seek to make use of the Panther's decent mobility characteristics to get into advantageous positions targeting the enemy's side, while being careful not to get enveloped by advancing enemy forces. Engaging enemy heavy tanks can be particularly troublesome, as many are largely frontally resistant to the Kwk 44.

'''Notable opponents'''

* [[IS-2]] - The IS-2's powerful 122mm gun can easily penetrate the Panther's frontal arc, and, on penetration, doesn't allow any second chances. IS-2s of the early pattern can be penetrated reliably through the lower front plate and turret.
* [[IS-2 (1944)]] - Compared to the earlier pattern IS-2, the '44 model has improved frontal protection - the lower frontal plate is now together with the externally mounted tracks a rather risky shot, particularly when angled or engaged at longer ranges.
* [[M26]] - The Pershing's strong armour makes it resistant to the Kwk 44, while its 90mm easily penetrates the Schmalturm in return. Considerations should be made before engaging one frontally. It can be penetrated frontally through the hull machinegun and the right/left edges of the lower plate. These weakspots are also present on the [[T29 Heavy Tank (Family)]].
* [[T26E5]] & [[T26E1-1]] - The two uparmoured Pershings are likewise highly resistant to the Kwk44 frontally, and direct frontal engagements with these should largely be avoided if possible.
* [[T-44]] - The T-44 is, despite its excellent mobility, well protected. It can be penetrated reliably through the front of the turret face.
* 76mm cannons (Found on [[M4 Sherman (Family)]] and [[M18 GMC]], among others) - Angling the turret against these weapons can make the Panther F a very hard nut to crack.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent protection, the hull is resistant to many guns commonly found at around the tier
* 75 mm KwK44 is highly capable, able to penetrate many targets with relative ease
* Slightly faster reload than the previous models of Panthers
* Optical rangefinder allows faster and more accurate ranging of targets out to 4 km

'''Cons:'''

* Turret is weak to many guns found at and above its battlerating.
* 75 mm KwK44 can struggle against certain heavily-armoured vehicles seen primarily in uptiers
* Pitiful reverse speed

== History ==


{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}|expand=true}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
In the autumn of 1944, production of a new variant of the Panther was planned, the Ausf. F variant. This version had stronger front armour on its hull (80 mm), its sides (50 mm), and the front part of its roof (25 mm). The Schmalturm 605 turret, developed by the company Daimler-Benz AG, was slightly smaller than the standard Panther turret. This allowed the forward armour to be reinforced up to 120 mm, at an inclination of 20°. The sides of the new turret had a thickness of 60 mm and an inclination of 25°, and the thickness of the gun mantlet reached 150 mm. Stereoscopic rangefinders produced by the company Zeiss were mounted on the sides of the turret. The vehicle was armed with a 75 mm KwK42/1 L/70 or KwK44/1 L/70 gun in a new mantlet.

A project was launched to equip the Panther with the longer 75 mm KwK L/100. Instead of a directional machine gun, the radio operator/gunner used an MP 44 assault rifle. Production plans stipulated that production Ausf. F tanks would only be released with road wheels with internal shock absorbers. During mass production, the tank was supposed to be fitted with a periscope sight with an optical stabilizer. Each tank could, if necessary, be equipped with an FG 1250 night vision device.

In October 1944, production of the Ausf. F was set to launch in the Daimler-Benz plant in Berlin in March 1945. But by January 1945, a single Panther Ausf. G prototype with a Schmallturm turret was ready. Due to the overall difficulty of Germany's situation at the time, only a few prototypes with a narrow turret and 8 tank hulls had been constructed by the end of the war. Some sources indicate that several Ausf. F variants were completed by Daimler-Benz between April 20 and 23, 1945, and they may have been used in combat operations.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_V_ausf_f_panther Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer MAN AG}}
{{Germany medium tanks}}

Type 90

2024-11-24T20:55:44Z

U64362282: Improved conciseness, added weakspot information on contemporary vehicles, minor grammatical improvements

{{About
| about = Japanese medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = the other version
| link-1 = Type 90 (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = Type 90 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=jp_type_90
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ({{Annotation|90式戦車|Kyūmaru Shiki Sensha}}) was initially accepted into service in 1990 as a replacement for both the [[Type 61]] and [[Type 74]] models. As the Type 74 was rather late to the scene, it had to compare with the newer generation of MBTs like the [[T-72 (Family)]], [[Leopard 2 (Family)]] and [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]. For that reason, the Type 90's development was called instantly after the Type 74's adoption. While closely resembling Western-style MBTs, the emphasis of the Type 90 lay in its low maximum weight and autoloader.

It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]]. Despite its appearance being similar to the [[Leopard 2A4]] and mounting a license-produced Rheinmetall L44-based cannon, it is significantly different in a number of aspects. In game, the main feature the Type 90 offers will be the 4-second autoloader it employs, allowing the Type 90 to effectively engage multiple targets in quick succession. The Type 90 also features a very high power-to-weight ratio putting it ahead of most other MBTs, as well as allowing it to keep up with lighter vehicles and get into position quickly.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

[[File:Type 90 Density Visualisation.png|thumb|Type 90 [[Protection Density Visualisation]]]]
The Type 90 MBT sacrifices protection and survivability in order to attain a smaller profile and a lighter vehicle weight, which was critical to its use of Japan's many bridges. As such, most 'improved' rounds available to other MBTs at the same BR (such as the [[Leopard 2A5]]'s DM33, or the [[Leclerc]]'s OFL 120 F1) will punch through even the Type 90's turret cheeks or upper front plate. It's important to keep in mind that even some autocannon ammunition will easily penetrate some of the weaker sections of the Type 90 from the front.

Despite the mediocre protection, the Type 90 has one main survivability feature: its primary ammunition is stored in blowout-protected compartments, sparing the crew from side shots on the rear of the turret, providing no more than 19 rounds are carried. Unfortunately, however, due to the autoloaded cannon the Type 90 is crewed by only 3 man, increasing the chances of being disabled from an initial shot.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 25 mm (82°) ''Driver's hatch'' 35 mm (47-83°) ''Upper glacis'' 40 mm (44°) ''Lower glacis'' || 35 mm 10 mm ''Side Skirts'' 25 mm ''Top'' || 25 mm (16-60°) ''All rear'' 15 mm ''Engine grille'' || 25 mm (0-8°) ''Hull roof incl. engine deck'' 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 40 mm ''Cheeks incl. gunner optics'' 35 mm ''Mantlet'' 35 mm ''Rear Mantlet Plate'' || 40 mm ''Forward'' 33 mm + 80 mm (air) + 40 mm ''Middle spaced armour'' 12 mm + 80 mm (air) + 35 mm ''Rear spaced armour'' || 25 mm || 35 mm (78-83°) ''Forehead Armour'' 20 mm (90°) ''Rear turret incl. cupola''
|-
|}

'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 20 mm thick.
* Composite armour covers the front hull and the turret:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Composite armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides
|-
| Hull || '''''Upper glacis''''' 320 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 420 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Lower glacis''''' 37 - 300 mm ''Kinetic'' 20 - 380 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A
|-
| Turret || '''''Turret cheeks''''' 400 - 450 mm ''Kinetic'' 640 - 660 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Gun mantlet''''' 275 - 375 mm ''Kinetic'' 500 - 600 mm ''Chemical'' || '''''Side forward''''' 78 - 400 mm ''Kinetic'' 81 - 490 mm ''Chemical'' '''''Side middle''''' 77 mm ''Kinetic'' 80 mm ''Chemical''
|}

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2032|rbMinHp=1327}}

The {{PAGENAME}} is powered by a 10-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine producing a maximum of 1,500 horsepower at 2400 RPM. Combined with its relatively light weight of only 50.2 tonnes, this gives it an excellent power-to-weight ratio of 29.88. As such, the Type 90 is often one of the first vehicles to reach capture points in a match, and can comfortably flank or move into advantageous positions earlier than many of its contemporaries. This power is transferred to the drive sprockets via an automatic transmission with 7 forward and 2 backward gears, unfortunately limiting the otherwise extremely mobile vehicle to 73 km/h (RB/SB) forwards and -34 km/h (RB/SB) backwards - speeds which it will reach with ease on-road.

The {{PAGENAME}} also mounts hydropneumatic suspension, allowing it to actively change the vehicle's ride height and angle. This can be used to improve the Type 90's rather poor vertical traverse angles, taking advantage of more defensive positions.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)}}

The Type 90 L/44 120 mm cannon is a license-produced clone of the Rheinmetall L/44 cannon found on the Leopard 2 series and the M1A1/M1A2. As such, it shares their excellent accuracy and firepower characteristics, with a key advantage: the Type 90 is autoloaded. This results in a flat 4 second reload, better than the peak manually loaded speeds available to the other L/44-mounting vehicles (5-6 seconds). Additionally, reloads are not hindered by fire or the loss of crew members. The Type 90 has two rounds available to it; the powerful JM33 APFSDS round (based on the NATO DM33 round) and the JM12A1 HEAT-FS round (based on DM12A1). These rounds are more than capable of penetrating any opponent the Type 90 may face, although when engaging many contemporary vehicles frontally, targeting weakspots is critical.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)|120 mm Type 90 L/44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
!Autoloader
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 42 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 28.6 || 39.5 || 48.0 || 53.1 || 56.5 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 17.9 || 21.0 || 25.5 || 28.2 || 30.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:Type 90 L/44 (120 mm)/Ammunition|JM12A1, JM33}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''42''' || 39 ''(+3)'' || 19 ''(+23)'' || 1 ''(+41)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Hull empty: 19 ''(+23)'' shells
* The autoloader contains 18 shells. Once these have all been fired, the autoloader must be replenished before being able to fire again.

====Optics and night vision====
The Type 90 receives night vision imagers once the tier 3 modification 'NVD' is researched. This unlocks standard 500 x 300 resolution thermal sights for the gunner, as well as standard image intensifiers for all crew (available in third person view in AB/RB additionally).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" |{{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! rowspan="3" |Type of optic
! rowspan="3" |Magnification
! colspan="5" |[[Night Vision Devices]]
|-
! colspan="3" |Image Intensifier
! rowspan="2" |{{Annotation|Thermal Imager Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
!{{Annotation|Resolution|The higher the resolution the clearer and more detailed the image is}}
!{{Annotation|Light Mult|By how much the image intensifier amplifies the existing light, primarily useful for comparing image intensifiers}}
!{{Annotation|Noise Level|How much noise is present in the image (how grainy the image is)}}
|-
!Gunner's Sight
|8.0x - 16.1x||--||--||--||500 x 300||Intensifier & thermal sights unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Commander's View
|6.0x||1600 x 1200||9.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|-
!Driver's View
|1.0x||800 x 600||5.0||High||N/A||Intensifier unlocked by 'NVD' modification (tier 3)
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|Type 74 (7.62 mm)}}

The Type 90 mounts two machine guns; one pintle-mounted 12.7 mm and one coaxial mounted 7.62 mm. These can be used as deterrent for low-flying aircraft, clearing light obstacles or crew from open-top vehicles, or spotting enemy vehicles.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -8°/+60° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[Type 74 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm Type 74]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 4,500 (250) || 701 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Type 90 is an extremely capable vehicle in the hands of an experienced tanker, but heed must be paid to the vehicle's weaknesses at all times.

'''Rural Combat'''

The Type 90 is very capable in rural combat where cover is plentiful and flanking routes are available. It should ideally be used for early flanks where available (such as the eastern flank on [[Maginot Line (Ground Forces)|Maginot Line]]) or when unavailable, pushing quickly for early captures before moving to a nearby protected location to hold that point. It's important to be aware of which routes might be sniper-covered early, as most vehicles will easily penetrate the Type 90, even at range - avoid giving them the opportunity.

'''Urban Combat'''

The Type 90 can prove itself to be an excellent urban combat vehicle, primarily due to its mobility and reliably fast reload. As in rural combat, an early push for a cap can prove viable before moving into a protected position, although often by the time the capture is completed enemy targets will be nearby. Early flanking (such as around the sides of [[American Desert]]) is also viable.

'''Notable Targets'''

* [[Challenger 2]] - The Challenger 2 is often found as a sniper due to its poor mobility but rather good turret armour. It is not recommended to fight hull-down Challenger 2s face-to-face at long range. The Challenger 2 can be penetrated frontally over large parts of the hull in addition to the poorly armoured mantlet.
* [[M1A2 Abrams]] - The M1A2 Abrams has excellent frontal protection and can prove tricky to discern from earlier models in the heat of a battle. As a general rule it's preferable to aim for the gun mantlet or turret ring on any Abrams, despite the fact that JM33 will penetrate nearly anywhere on early models - better safe than sorry.
* [[Leopard 2 (Family)|Leopard 2]] - The Leopard 2A5 and later variants are very well protected. Once again it is not recommended to fight hull-down Leopard 2A5, 2A6 or 2A7 face-to-face at long range. Frontal weakspots on Leopard 2A7 and Strv 122s include around the gun mantlet, lower front hull and driver's hatch. Leopard 2A5/2A6 can be penetrated over a larger part of the frontal hull.
* [[T-80]] - The T-80 family (excluding the T-80B) is well protected from the front, and care should be taken when engaging - aim for the driver viewport or the lower front plate; or where these are not options try to disable its gun through the mantlet. If flanking, side shots will often knock out the T-80 in one shot.
* [[Leclerc]] - The Leclerc is fast, with a power-to-weight ratio not far short of the Type 90's. When pushing early for caps or flanks, be aware that the Leclerc may be one of the first vehicles you'll counter. The Leclerc's highly-sloped upper plate can easily be penetrated by JM33, as can the lower plate and mantlet, and on certain variants, the armour block under the gunner's sight. The flat middle front plate and turret cheeks can reliably stop JM33 however.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros'''

* Autoloaded 120 mm cannon, 4-second reload unaffected by crew or fire
* High power-to-weight ratio and top speed, excellent mobility
* Fitted with [[hydropneumatic suspension]], allowing a greater range of vertical targeting.
* JM33 APFSDS round is competitive
* Primary ammunition storage protected within blow-out containment in the rear of the turret
* Hydropneumatic suspension can lower the tank significantly, allowing you to hide behind relatively low hills and ridges

'''Cons:'''

* Insufficient protection to reliably stop many rounds around its BR-range
* Low survivability resulting from a 3 man crew
* Poor vertical gun traverse angles, partially made up for by use of active suspension
* JM33 struggles against higher-rank opponents if not aimed at weak spots
* Rather slow targeting speeds both vertically and horizontally

== History ==

Development of the Type 90 began almost immediately after the introduction of the Type 74 into service, with the Japanese High Command already looking for a superior replacement. A central aspect of the new machine would have to be the ability to take on and defeat the new Soviet T-72 main battle tank. With that in mind, Japanese engineers began working on a prototype design, which would see completion in 1980. Two prototypes of this initial design were built, tested and improved upon between 1980 - 1986.

Testing resumed in 1986 with a second batch of four prototype vehicles, featuring a number of improvements over the initial two. The most significant change included the replacement of a Japanese-made 120mm smoothbore gun with the established Rheinmetall 120 L/44, most notably used by the M1A1 Abrams and Leopard 2 at the time. The decision to change the gun from a domestic one to a licence-built alternative most likely came as a measure to reduce production costs. However, unlike the MBTs of western armies, the designers of the Type 90 opted to equip the tank with an autoloading mechanism, making it the only production vehicle that did so in combination with the Rh 120 cannon. Further testing and army trials of these prototypes was conducted during the late 80s before the Japanese army formally introduced the tank into service in 1990 as the Type 90. Production of the Type 90 began in 1990 and continued until 2009, with 341 vehicles made.

''- From [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_type_90 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
{{Skin-gallery |market|ugcitem_1000299|Type 90 digital training paint.png|Camo "Digital training paint"}}

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|p6cWlyUnJQA|'''Top 7 off-road beasts''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:27 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|31ZOmtzI_2g|'''The Shooting Range #107''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|K-9ObimGTJI|'''JGSDF Type 90: Actual Sound Recording''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|G_jOfO3g_iA|'''JGSDF Type 90: 360° Video''' - ''DMM GAMES Official Channel''|xarYzM07uSk|[JP] '''Former SDF member spectates Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 1)|AyvnH_sBgrg|[JP] '''Former SDF member rides Type 90 at firing range''' (Part 2)}}

== See also ==


;Related Development

* [[Type 90 (Family)]]
** [[Type 90 (B)]] - (equipped with mounting plates for a Type 92 mine-roller)
** [[Type 90 (B) "Fuji"]]
* [[Type 10 (Family)]] - (successor)

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
{{columns|2|
* [[File:France flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Leclerc (Family)]]
* [[File:FRG flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Leopard 2 (Family)]]
* [[File:Italy flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Ariete (Family)]]
* [[File:USA flag.png|30px|link=]] [[M1 Abrams (Family)]]
* [[File:USA flag.png|30px|link=]] [[File:FRG flag.png|30px|link=]] [[MBT-70]] / [[KPz-70]] / [[XM-803]]
* [[File:Britain flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Challenger (Disambiguation)|Challenger MBT]]
* [[File:Israel flag.png|30px|link=]] [[Merkava (Family)]]
* [[File:USSR flag.png|30px|link=]] [[T-72 (Family)|T-72 / T-90 (Family)]]
* [[File:USSR flag.png|30px|link=]] [[T-80 (Family)]]
* [[File:China flag.png|30px|link=]] [[ZTZ96 (Family)]]
* [[File:China flag.png|30px|link=]] [[ZTZ99 (Family)]]
}}

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5499-development-type-90-the-lightweight-heavy-hitter-en|[Devblog] Type 90: The Lightweight Heavy Hitter]]

{{Japan medium tanks}}

M26E1

2022-09-28T22:56:47Z

U64362282: very minor spelling mistakes and grammar changes

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = M26 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m26e1_pershing
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]] as an in-game premium vehicle purchaseable with Golden Eagles {{ge}}, but was removed from in-game sale after the [[wt:en/news/7408-news-happy-birthday-war-thunder-en|9th Anniversary Sale]].

Aside from the base model of a [[M26|M26 Pershing]], it boasts the long L/73 [[T54 (90 mm)|90 mm Gun T54]], very similar to the T15E2 on the [[T32|T32]], allowing it to compete effectively against Rank IV vehicles with the mobility of the Pershing.

The most distinctive characteristic of the M26E1 compared to the original M26 is the "T54" 90 mm cannon. The cannon has a longer barrel with a small muzzle-brake compared to its original design. The longer 90 mm cannon comes with the standard AP shot, HE shot, M82 shot (APCBC), and HVAP shot. All these rounds, except for the HE shot, have a higher penetration and velocity compared to the standard 90 mm M3. The M82 shot is considered the most useful and efficient round for this tank as it has enough explosive filler (140 g of Exp. D) to knock out many tanks at its battle rating with a single shot while having little to no difficulty penetrating the enemy's vehicle.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Front, turret)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Side, Rear, Roof)
* Structural steel (Exterior boxes, Rear counterweight)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 101.6 mm (12-46°) ''Front glacis'' 162.5 mm (25-60°) ''Upper front glacis'' 76.2 mm (28-53°) ''Lower glacis'' || 76.2 mm ''Front'' 50.8 mm (0-3°) ''Rear'' || 50.8 mm (7°) ''Top'' 22.2 mm (71°) ''Bottom'' || 22.2 mm
|-
| Turret || 101.6 mm (9-73°) ''Turret front'' 114.3 mm (1-84°) ''Gun mantlet''|| 76.2 mm (2-54°) || 76.2 (0-79°) + 100 mm (2°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 76.2 mm || 76.2 mm
|76.2 mm
|25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 25.4 mm thick.
* Counterweight on the turret rear is made of structural steel.

Any tactic that works with the M26 Pershing can work with the M26E1. While its gun is quite potent, it also has quite a lengthy reload time after firing, minimum 11 seconds with an ace crew. As such, an M26E1 that fired is a great target to pounce on provided no other enemies are around that remains a threat.

The M26E1 has the same armour as the M26 Pershing, so any weapons that can cleave through one's armour can go through the other's. The best target is for a straight-on hit on the front glacis as the direct effective thickness is 146 mm of cast armour (137 mm when applying the cast armour modifier of x0.94.). Side armour is also quite thin, ranging from 50 to 76 mm and can thus be easily pierced by most weapons at the BR.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=775|rbMinHp=442}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|T54 (90 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[T54 (90 mm)|90 mm T54]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 41 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 20.0 || 27.7 || 33.6 || 37.2 || 39.5 || rowspan="2" | 14.43 || rowspan="2" | 12.76 || rowspan="2" | 11.77 || rowspan="2" | 11.10
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 12.5 || 14.7 || 17.9 || 19.7 || 21.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| AP Shot || APBC || 211 || 208 || 193 || 177 || 162 || 148
|-
| HE Shell || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
|-
| T41 || APCBC || 224 || 221 || 206 || 188 || 172 || 157
|-
| HVAP Shot || APCR || 336 || 330 || 304 || 274 || 248 || 223
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| AP Shot || APBC || 975 || 10.9 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| HE Shell || HE || 975 || 10.6 || 0 || 0.1 || 925 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| T41 || APCBC || 975 || 10.94 || 1.2 || 14 || 137.2 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| HVAP Shot || APCR || 1,143 || 7.6 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}. Turret storage (1) is a 5 round ready rack. Floor storage (2) is consumed from left to right.]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''41''' || 5 ''(+36)'' || 1 ''(+40)'' || Yes
|-
|}

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+70° || ±60°
|-
| Coaxial || 600 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M26E1 was a post-World War II modification of the standard [[M26|M26 Pershing]]. This modification changes the barrel length to 73 calibres long with the new [[T54 (90 mm)|90 mm T54 gun]]. The gun offers some of the most powerful penetration in-game for Rank IV and is equipped with AP, HE, APCBC and HVAP Rounds. The M26E1 suffers from a very weak side and rear armour, though this is a common weakness on every tank. The front and front part of the turret is able to bounce some enemy shots but can be penetrated by most other tanks in its 6.7 [[Battle_ratings|Battle Rating]] range so beware.

Playing the M26E1 is similar to the [[M26|M26 Pershing]]. Armour and mobility of the two tanks are the same. The only advantage sticking out is the M26E1's more powerful gun due to the longer length. Though more powerful, the reload time is also longer than the normal M26 Pershing, so the playstyle should be more conservative to avoid being caught in an attack while reloading.

Though equipped with a very powerful gun, the M26E1 suffers from the same M26 Pershing armour. Thus, it is very vulnerable to most tanks at its rank and so most of its combat life should be taking cover and avoiding large open spaces. The M26E1 presents the same mobility of the Pershing so this can be exploited in close quarters over the more cumbersome [[Panther F|Panther]], [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]], and [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]]'s. Staying in cover and scooting out to take out the enemy from their weak points on the front or their vulnerable side armour should be the prime attack move for the M26E1 before retreating back into cover.

Fighting against medium tanks will be relatively easy due to the gun's penetration value. Unless bounced, the gun could even penetrate the front glacis of the [[Panther G|Panther]] tanks. The main problem the tank will face is the Tiger II and [[T32|T32]] heavy tanks and the later IS tanks such as the [[IS-3]] and [[IS-4M]] due to their thick front armour. Flanking may be necessary for these heavy tanks, but some accurate shots to some known weak points on the front of these tanks can also work.

* [[Tiger II (P)]] and [[Tiger II (H)|(H)]]: These are the more common German heavy tanks seen with the battle rating and are the most dangerous. The best tactic is to use the 90 mm gun to penetrate the turret cheeks and knock out the gunner. In the time period when the firing method is disabled, move in with the M26E1's mobility and hit it on the sides if possible.
* [[Jagdpanther]]: The 88 mm gun is a threat to the tank, but in close range, the 90 mm APCBC round can penetrate the front armour, and the APCR can be used if wanting a definite result.
* [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]]: The IS-2 tank's 122 mm cannon can make short work of the M26E1, thus it is best to avoid being shot at in the first place. If in the situation where a fight with the IS-2 must be head on, fire a round through the turret cheeks and incapacitate the gunner for a more opportune moment to aim to destroy the tank. Shooting a lower glacis also works and if lucky may even knock out the tank.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with the long 90 mm gun seen on the [[T26E1-1]], the [[T32]] or the [[T32E1]]
* The gun's optics have a magnification level of 5x, making it good at both close range target acquisition and long range sniping
* The T41 APCBC shell is comparable to the Tiger II's APCBC shell; presenting great accuracy, velocity, penetration values, and damage potential
* Fires one of the best APCR shells in the game. Has high penetration values that can cut right though the front of the Jagdtiger's superstructure at ranges exceeding 500 m
* 10 degrees of gun depression give the ability to fight hull down and shoot from ridge lines
* Armed with two .50 cal machine guns that are good at damaging lightly-armoured vehicles
* The M26E1 is routinely underestimated by the enemy team. Many players will think this tank is just a mere M26, not realizing that this tank has the same firepower as a Super Pershing or a T32

'''Cons:'''

* The reload rate is mediocre, several seconds slower than the Tiger II's 88 mm
* Frontal armour is not adequate against its competition, with long 88 mm and 122 mm shells able to slice right through it at ranges exceeding 1,000 m
* Small crew compartment. Enemy APHE shells that enter the tank will kill the entire crew with ease
* Despite the good gun depression, the turret armour is mediocre at best. Continued turret exposure is ill-advised
* Underwhelming top speed for a medium tank
* Low total ammunition count for the 90 mm gun, and a small first stage ammo rack that only holds 5 shells
* Players mistaking this tank for a mere M26 is a double-edged sword, as many enemy players will just engage the M26E1 like a M26

== History ==


The '''M26E1''' was a post-war variant of the [[M26|M26 Pershing]] with the intent on increasing its firepower. During World War II, the 90 mm M3 mounted on the original M26 Pershing was equivalent to the German 88 mm KwK36 on the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]]. But looking for an upgrade, Ordnance developed the T15E1 90 mm gun, which was equivalent to the 88 mm KwK43 on the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. This cannon was mounted on the then development model ''T26E1'' to make the [[T26E1-1]] tank. The T15E1 90 mm cannon was visibly much longer than the original 90 mm M3, with the length of 73 calibres compared to the 53 calibres of the M3 cannon. This allowed the cannon to have a much larger ammo charge and muzzle velocity. The first T26E1-1 model made was the only "Super Pershing" model sent to Europe.

A second version was made from the T26E3 model, the production model of the T26E1, with a modified gun to use two-piece ammunition rather than a one-piece version, plus a new gun mounting to remove the stabilizer springs required to hold the gun. 25 of these tanks were built and were designated the ''T26E4''.

After World War II, two military model M26 Pershings were converted to mount the T54 gun, which was essentially the same 90 mm cannon as the T15E1 but had ammunition which was shorter and fatter than the previous versions. The muzzle brake was shaved down from two to one baffle to compensate for the smaller chamber the cannon presented. This M26 Pershing with the T54 cannons was designated the '''M26E1 Medium Tank''', but production was never reached due to budget constraints.

=== In-game description ===
Two models of the M26E1 medium tank were built. They were equipped with long-barreled, single-load 90 mm cannons that were supposed to be statistically superior to German 88 mm guns with 71-calibre barrels. The project became irrelevant when the war ended and was abandoned.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m26e1_pershing Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{TankManufacturer Ordnance Department}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}